Adrenal cancer is a rare disease that originates in the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys and consist of two parts that function separately: the outer layer (cortex) and the inner area (medulla).

The cor...     ( more )

Overview

Antenatal (i.e., before birth) hydronephrosis is a condition in which the outflow of urine from the kidney is obstructed, resulting in fluid-filled enlargement. The condition is usually detected by ultrasound, as early as the first trimester of pregnancy.

Antenatal hydro...     ( more )

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is not simply a case of too many prostate cells. Prostate growth involves hormones, occurs in different types of tissue (e.g., muscular, glandular), and affects men differently. As a result of these differences, treatment varies i...     ( more )

The bladder is an organ located in the pelvic cavity that stores and discharges urine. Urine is produced by the kidneys, carried to the bladder by the ureters, and discharged from the bladder through the urethra. Bladder cancer...     ( more )

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) or kidney failure is usually identified by an elevated blood level of creatinine.  Creatinine is a normal breakdown produc...     ( more )

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability of a man to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for his sexual needs or the needs of his partner. Most men experience this at some point in their lives, usually by age 40, and are not psychol...     ( more )

Hematuria is the presence of blood, specifically red blood cells, in the urine. Whether the blood is visible only under a microscope or visible to the naked eye, hematuria is a sign that something is causing bleeding in the genitourinary tract: the kidneys, t...     ( more )

Hypospadias is a condition that is present at birth (congenital) in which the opening of the tube that carries urine and, in males, semen from the body (the urethra) is located below the normal location. This is caused by incomplete development of the urethra in utero ...     ( more )

Urinary control relies on the finely coordinated activities of the smooth muscle tissue of the urethra and bladder, skeletal muscle, voluntary inhibition, and the autonomic nervous system.

Urinary incontinence can result from anatomic, physiologic, or...     ( more )

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder that causes frequent, urgent, and painful urination and pelvic discomfort. The natural lining of the bladder (epithelium) is protected from toxins in the urine by a laye...     ( more )

Kidney stones (calculi) are hardened mineral deposits that form in the kidney. They originate as microscopic particles and develop into stones over time. The medical term for this condition is nephrolithiasis, or renal stone disease.
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Infertility is the inability to conceive after at least one year of unprotected intercourse. Since most people are able to conceive within this time, physicians recommend that couples unable to do so be assessed for fertility problems. In men, hormone disor...     ( more )

Nocturnal enuresis is a condition in which a person who has bladder control while awake urinates while asleep. The condition is commonly called bed-wetting and it often has a psychological impact on children and their families. Children with the condition often have lo...     ( more )

In people with an overactive bladder (OAB), the layered, smooth muscle that surrounds the bladder (detrusor muscle) contracts spastically, sometimes without a known cause, which results in sustained, high bladder pressure and the urgent...     ( more )

Pediatric urology is the diagnosis and treatment of congenital (i.e., present at birth) and acquired urological conditions and diseases in children. Pediatric urologists treat conditions of the male reproductive tract (e.g., undescended tes...     ( more )

Peyronie’s disease is characterized by the formation of hardened tissue (fibrosis) in the penis that causes pain, curvature, and distortion, usually during erection. The penis is the male organ for reproduction and urination. It is composed of two co...     ( more )

Adenocarcinoma of the prostate is the clinical term for a cancerous tumor on the prostate gland. As prostate cancer grows, it may spread to the interior of the gland, to tissues near the prostate, to sac-like structures attached to the prostate (seminal...     ( more )

Prostatitis is a term used to describe inflammatory conditions of the prostate gland. It is thought that most cases of prostatitis result from nonbacterial causes. An infected or inflamed prostate can cause painful urination and ejaculation.

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Testicular cancer develops in the testicles (testes), the male reproductive glands. The testicles are located in the membranous pouch below the penis (scrotum) and are suspended from the body by the spermatic cord. They produce male reproductiv...     ( more )

Testosterone production declines naturally with age. Testosterone deficiency (TD) may result from disease or damage to the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, or testicles that inhibits hormone secretion and testosterone production, and is als...     ( more )

Undescended testicle, also called cryptorchidism, is a common condition in which one of the testes (testicle, male reproductive gland) is located outside of the scrotum. During the eighth month of gestation, the testes migrate from the abdomen, through the groin, and i...     ( more )

Upper tract tumors develop in tissue in the kidneys that collects urine (i.e., the renal pelvis) and the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder (ureters). Cancer that originates in the upper urinary tract accounts for less than...     ( more )

The organ that produces urine (kidney) and the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder (ureter) join at the ureteropelvic junction (UPJ). Narrowing (stricture) at this junction reduces the flow of urine from the kidney and can result in enlargement of th...     ( more )

The urethra is the structure that carries urine, and in men, semen from the body. It is located within the penis (organ for reproduction and urination) in men and in front of the vagina (passageway to the uterus, birth canal) in women. Urethral c...     ( more )

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Urinary Tract Infection Overview

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common infection that usually occurs when bacteria enter the opening of the urethra and multiply in the urinary tract. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, the tubes that carry urine from the k...     ( more )

Some urological conditions have serious or life-threatening consequences and require immediate medical attention. These medical emergencies include

• acute urinary retention,
• Fournier's gangrene,
• paraphimosis,
• priapism, an...     ( more )

Varicocele Overview

Varicocele is a mass of enlarged veins that develops in the spermatic cord, which leads from the testicles (testes ) up through a passageway in the lower abdominal wall (systeminguinal canal) to the circulatory system. The spermatic co...     ( more )

Vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure to cut and close off the tubes (vas deferens) that deliver sperm from the testes; it is usually performed as a means of contraception. The procedure typically takes about 30 minutes and usually causes few ...     ( more )

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is the backup of urine from the organ that stores urine (bladder) into the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder (ureter) during urination. VUR may result in urine reflux into the renal pelvis, causing distention (hydronephr...     ( more )

Voiding dysfunction refers to the inability to empty the bladder normally.